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Businesses slow to adopt social media as a CRM solution

A recent study by Kemp Goldberg Partners and IDC Research Services found that 60 percent of businesses do not use social media as a customer relationship management tool. However, according to the research, companies that do have found social media to improve customer experience and provide other benefits as well.

The study, which polled 150 businesses in a variety of industries, examined the different uses for social media as a method of communicating with consumers, vendors and business partners. While only 40 percent of businesses have used this resource, most of these found it gave them a significant advantage in CRM and helped to keep the flow of information between vendor and consumer open.

Social media options are often included as part of unified communications services for contact center use. These tools not only improve employee productivity and customer satisfaction, but also decrease costs and can increase revenue by drawing in more consumers who prefer non-traditional communication methods.

By including social media in any telecommunications effort, businesses can open up new channels to interact with consumers who show an affinity for evolving technology, said Janet King, vice president of IDG Research Services. This can not only improve communications, but also strengthen a customer's decision to do business with that vendor.